Our History

Businessman Charles Hunting Senior buys stock in several ship owning companies, as well as a pair of wooden sailing ships, the Genii and Slyvia, as a 21st birthday present for his son Charles Samuel Hunting.

Additional vessels are added to the fleet, which now consisted of a dozen cargo steamships.

Friend and business associate of Charles Samuel Hunting, Edward Aisbett Gibson, are awarded exclusive chartering rights of Huntings first oil tanker, the 5000dwt Duffield. Later that year, ‘E.A. Gibson & Company Limited’ is formed.

Edward Aisbett Gibson sadly dies, and soon after, the commercial shipping industry grinds to a halt and the Hunting Fleet is pressed into military service, and by the end of World War One is reduced to four ships.

Bill Green, a 13 year old, joins E.A. Gibson as an office boy. After cornering the Creosote market he becomes Managing Director of E.A. Gibson and Company Limited, all by the age of 24.

Hunting passes away, leaving his sons Percy and Lindsay to continue rebuilding and expanding the company. By the mid-20s they concentrate on the oil trade and order a series of new motor tankers.

Hunting’s headquarters relocate from Newcastle to London, whilst simultaneously absorbing the Shipbroking business of E.A. Gibson.

E.A. Gibson starts handling crude oil and is recognised throughout Europe as the principle brokers for crude oil sales. Green predicts this boom and closes his first $1m deal on the eve of The Great Depression.

The London headquarters moves to Cunard House on Leadenhall Street. Gibson’s tanker chartering operations widen and only depend on the Hunting business for around 20% of their income.

Green expands the business by opening an office in Paris with Jacques Lang – Pétrole et Affrètements, an associated office in Morocco also opens. During World War Two, most Gibson staff are called up. The skeleton office which remained was moved out of London where only nominal business was performed.

Green opens an office in Calgary, Canada.

Post war the company springs back, with Richard Haig taking charge. Green moves to Canada where he ran Gibson Petroleum until his later retirement. Under Haig’s leadership, E.A. Gibson rapidly expands and diversifies by re-entering into dry cargo broking, enlarges its tanker and agency departments, and even starts an aviation department, providing employment for its returning workforce.

The business prospers during the post-war years, largely thanks to the oil booms. Later E.A. Gibson Merges with dry cargo brokers Fergusson Wild and the company becomes E.A. Gibson Fergusson Wild (Shipbrokers).

The Sale & Purchase department is opened.

Eric Shawyer, a renowned rising star of the shipbroking world, becomes Managing Director as Haig turns his attention to other sectors.

E.A. Gibson enters the record books as it concludes the first ever block fixture of a fleet of one million tonnes deadweight belonging to H. Waage of Norway for charterer, Shell.

E.A. Gibson becomes one of the first to computerise its ship and charter information systems, long before IT becomes commonplace.

E.A. Gibson raises £1.5m to purchase 10,000 shares from Fergusson Wild and a new company E.A. Gibson Shipbrokers Ltd is formed.

Through a reorganisation, E.A. Gibson Petroleum, Fretoil and Gibson Calgary moves to Hunting Petroleum Management, and the remaining air charter work is sold to management and later closed.

LPG and Petrochemical Gas department is opened.

E.A. Gibson moves to Ely Place.

Offshore department is opened.

E.A. Gibson Shipwise Ltd, is set up as an independent research department for outside companies as well as Gibson’s, which later becomes Gibson Consultancy and Research.

Gibson becomes the first major shipbroker to attain ISO 9002 registration.

Peter Lilley, Head of the Gas Chartering Department, becomes Managing Director, a historic move for a company whose key position had only ever been held by a tanker broker.

Gibson (Asia) Limited is founded.

Nigel Richardson becomes Managing Director, having joined in 1982 as Peter Lilley retires. During 2008 Gibson expands into an international company of over 180 staff, based in London, Houston, Hong Kong and Singapore. Gibson Brokers PTE. Ltd is founded.

E.A. Gibson Houston Inc is founded.

After more than 120 years of association, Gibson separates from Hunting Plc and becomes a fully independent, employee owned company, run on behalf of and for the benefit of all its worldwide employees.

E.A. Gibson celebrates its 125 year anniversary.

E.A. Gibson expands into India and E.A. Gibson Shipbrokers (India) Private Limited is founded.

E.A. Gibson completes its final payment to Hunting Plc and becomes completely financially independent.

Roger Harrison takes over from Nigel Richardson as Managing Director. Propel – Gibson’s first proprietary broking system is created and implemented across the business. Singapore and India offices expand.

After over 40 years at Ely Place, the London office moves to a new space in New Street Square, with a new growth strategy to progress the business. Gibson further expands with offices in Dubai and Athens.